dynamic directional extrusion (and other fantasies)

OK, I'm just gonna go ahead and be the precocious jackass who spits out an idea irrespective of the knowledge and experience to know if it's been done before, doesn't make any sense or is otherwise moronic or irrelevant: dynamic directional extrusion. You're welcome. My understanding of the way material is extruded through a hot end on your standard fused filament fabrication (FFF) 3d printer is that the nozzle remains roughly perpendicular to the bead of material it is laying down,  requiring Read more [...]

how I decided on the printrbot GO

When I decided I simply had to get a 3d printer of my very own, my first instinct was to get a Makerbot. They are probably the most widely publicized and hence best known consumer grade 3d printer available and you can simply stroll down to their NoHo store and walk out with one under your arm (well, figuratively anyway). They are reportedly very easy to use thanks to being preassembled and calibrated and coming with some easy to use software. There's a lot to like here. After reading the Read more [...]

On the Make: Ultimate Guide to 3D Printing

Make: magazine is about making stuff.  Apparently there are enough folks out there who think of themselves as "makers" to justify an honest-to-god paper magazine (remember those?). I make stuff all the time, but mostly watchmaking tools (too niche) and have honestly not paid attention to this magazine outside of the odd article on the web. I have nearly worn out the Winter 2013 edition however. It is dedicated to everything 3d printing and I've been reading, re-reading and re-re-reading the various Read more [...]

3DEA open house (the place where dreams get unsettled). Oh, and a Makerbot!

I've been fascinated by 3d printing technology for some time, but the tipping point was reached for me when I visited the 3DEA open house in NYC after getting the heads up from a coworker.  I went a few times in fact and picked up the Make magazine "Ultimate Guide to 3d Printing" issue, something that deserves a post of its own.  I also took a 3d modelling/design class with my wife on my third visit, something that was memorable because I was with my wife. 'Nuff said about that. Here's Read more [...]

Sketchup, augmented reality and Shapeways

So if you wanna print in 3d, chances are pretty good that you're going to want to design some objects to print (although one could certainly be endlessly entertained with the vastness that is Thingiverse). Since ordering a printer (and being tortured by the lead time of four weeks; I know, I have the patience of a five year old), I've been experimenting with modelling software a little bit to see what works for me.  I'm more of the engineer type than the artist type, so CAD software that offers Read more [...]

what this is

The post title is perhaps optimistic, but I wanted to try to jot down a few thoughts about why I finally knuckled under and started a blog. I've written about watches since 1998 or so, with articles published by TimeZone, ThePuristS (now PuristSPro), International Watch (now iW Magazine) and Horological Times (website currently blocked by Google as containing malware, great). Since taking a full time position in the watch industry, this activity has all but completely ceased.  Conflicts of interest Read more [...]